Internal fitting for jars, bottles, cans, boxes, showcases, and other hollow containers



April 14, 1942. w. WALSH v l 2,279,426

INTERNAL FITTING FOR JARS, BOTTLES, cANs, BOXES, sHOwOAsEs,

AND OTHER HOLLOW CONTAINERS Filed April -ll, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. 1. l Fzgf Maig/L 2 April 14, 1942. w. WALSH 2,279,426

INTERNAL FITTING FOR JARS, BOTTLES, CANS, BOXES, SHOWCASES,

AND OTHER HOLLOW CONTAINERS Filed April 11, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fagt (L Patented Apr. 14, 1942 INTERNAL FITTING FOR JARS, BOTTLES, CANS, BOXES, SHOWCASES, AND OTHER HOLLOW CONTAINERS WilliamV Walsh. London, Eng1and Application April 11, 1938, Serial No. 201,396 In Great Britain May 7, 1937 Claims.

This invention concerns an internal fitting for hollow containers, which expression is intended to include, where used in this specification and in the appended claims, containers such as jars, bottles, cans, boxes, show-cases, and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means whereby a container can be divided into compartments by means of shelves or partitions which are readily removable and which enable the contents of the container in the various compartments to be'kept separate and prevented from intermingling.

Another object of the invention is an internal fitting for containers which is suitable for use where the container is to be used for the transport, storage or displaycf chemicals such as crystalline minerals, and where it is desired to prevent contact between various layers of chemicals, Aor the settling down or gravitation of heavier materials to the bottom of the container.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a fitting readily adaptable to various sizes of containers and by means of which the volumes of the compartments formed can quickly be changed and fragile articles can be safely packed.

With these objects in mind, my invention comprises in its broad aspects an internal fitting for hollow containers comprising, a plurality of shelves or partitions, each provided adjacent its periphery with a plurality of supporting members and adapted to extend upwardly of the shelf or partition to which it is attached when the member is inserted in the container and means for retaining the supporting members in position in the container, so that the shelves or partitions are held in spaced relationship one above the other.

The method of locating the fitting in position in the container may take a number of forms, for instance the supports themselvesmay be arranged to extend upwardly from the shelves or partitions and be of springy strip material so that they tend to spring outwards and thus hold or suspend the shelves or partitions in place at spaced distances in the container.

With such an arrangement, each upright supportmay be separately mounted on the container wall by means of a stud or projection engaging an indenture in the container wall, a plurality of such indentures being provided at predetermined intervals or alternatively the corresponding supports of the different shelves or partitions may be adjacently disposed and arranged to overlap one another and be provided with means such as a pin and slot larrangement whereby each support is engaged with the next outer support, the outermost support being provided with means cf attachment to' the container wall. fl

If desired, in an arrangement in which two shelves or partitions are employed, the `sides of the two shelves or partitions facing one another may be provided with a layer of resilient cushioning material, for example sponge rubber, so asv t0 render the fitting suitable for packing fragile articles. l

These and other features of the invention will be more completely understood from the following detailed description which is given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a container having an internal fitting according to the invention and particularly adapted for use where fragile articles are concerned. l

Figure 2 illustrates a modification of the invention wherein the supports for the shelves are independently mounted.

Figure 3 is a sectional View showing another method of attaching the supporting means vto the shelves.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating a modification which'shelves of dished for`- mation are employed. Y

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a detail of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 3 illustrating a modification in which a friction grip is employed to support the shelves.

Figure 7 illustrates a modification of the fitting shown in Figure 6 but in which the outermost supporting member is pressed outwards,v soy as to cause a projection at the upper end to engage with an indenture in the walls of the jar.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, the

reference I indicates a container of circular cylindrical form fitted with partitional means comprising a series of spaced shelves vwhich arey here in the form of at circular discs and 6l.

Each of the discs 60, 6I is provided with a pair of supporting arms 64 and 65, respectively formed of strip material and arranged at diametrically opposite sides of the discs. The arms 64, 65 are attached to the peripheries of the shelves in a suitable manner, for example,by riveting, stapling or adhesion and the arms 6,4, 65 are of different lengths as shown and lie substantially parallel to the container wall.

The arms 64, 65 are, in this embodiment, provided of springy material and in the uncomjections or studs I2 rest in the indenture I3, a

similar stud on each of theother arms enample the method of mounting the shelves is modified. Each of the shelves is provided with two pairs of oppositely disposed supports, which are attached at their lower ends to the inside of the inclined walls of the shelf, by riveting, stapling, or adhesion or by otherA suitable means.

The supports are in'stripk form but are each engaged with the wallofthe container by the pin and slot connection, that is to say each shelf is independently supported at the height of each -pair of strip uprights, whereby each shelf bevel `rests on the top of the preceding support which gaging with a corresponding-*indenture the arm 64. It is clear that, assuming the container to be empty and standing upright, when the `disclIl lis inserted therein the arms 64 arefbrought into a substantially vertical position and therefore press apart due to their inherent springiness..Y

The disc is then moved downwardly in the container until studs I2 snap into recesses I3, thus 'locating thediscin position. i A

. ,f -In order that thecontainer may be made suitabletojc'ontain fragileV articles, such as glassware,

the two partitionsor'shvelvcs 60 and 6I illustrated sin:v this case are each vprovidedon the sides there- "of, facingfone another vwith a cushion 62 of; re- -silientmaterial, for-example sponge rubber, by

whichfthe frangible arti-cle, shown by way of example as aglass. cylinder Ii3, is adapted to be resiliently supported and cushioned, whereby the article is prevented from moving into contact with the Aside of they container. Although only .twoj shelves,v havebeen shown, .it is to be understood-'that a larger number of shelves may be provided if desiredin which case=the rubber or like cushions B2 will be arranged on both sides of `the shelves, or at least the intermediate shelves. n In this arrangement a vertical series of indentures are provided of ladder formation in the jar so that .the retain-ing uprights provided y with studs willllock into an indenture according to the heightof the article and thereby be rmly secured by pressure. 1n thisv case the outward flexible uprights should be of extra strength and -to `be provided-with a snapclasp `security grip.y

Any pair of indentures can be engaged by the studs vonl arms to adjust the height of disc 6I abovedisc 60,- so that the sizes of thev compartments of the container canbe varied and thus the container can be adapted for use withv fragile articles of different sizes. l

p The resilientcushioning means described above, :may be applied to any ofthe forms of shelves or uprights in any of the fittings previously or hereafter described.

` Themodiflcation shown in Figure 1 is particu-l. larly Auseful for the` packing and transit of fragile the internal tting as shown in Figure 1 could ,be ,equally well applied to a parallel sided container havingV a square base, in whichcase, the

.shelves wouldbe square instead of circular so with the flexible uprights and succeeding stud y gives a double pressure security grip. The stops V at the top of the container for the two highest fiexible uprights form a double security lock for -all the uprightsif the container is tilted or jolted in transit.

Figure 3 illustrates a form of container whereinthe shelves are in the form of flat discs 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively'provided with `two arms 6, 1, 8 and 9 which extend upwardly fromdiametrically opposite points of Veach disc and the V:arms are preferably formed of rigid material, such as metal. 1 v

The arms 6,1,18 and 9 lare each anglednear their lower ends and the lower extremity of `each is attached to the yunderside of the correspond- Y ing disc by a hinge as indicated at I0. Asmall blade spring VI I isprovided on each disc adjacent Y each supporting arm and its free end is designed to exert a yielding pressure on this'arm when the latter extends perpendicular or almost perpendicular to the disc. The springs II are attached to thecorresponding discs by suitable means, such as by riveting.

The arms are supported by the pin and slot system described in connection with Figures l, 2 and 5 and recesses I8 are'provided inthe discs to accommodate these arms, the recesses'gradually increasing indepth from the disc 2 to the disc 5. v

A. further modification is shown 'in Fig. '4 wherein the shelves are 'also' of dished formation but the supporting strips instead of being individually suspended on the container wall 'as rin the case of Figure 2, are attached together by the pin and yslot connection arrangement illustrated in Figure 5.V The outermost support 6 is provided with a study forengaging with a recess or indenture in the wall of ther container vas shown. v'I'he supporting strips for the different shelves in this case are of different lengths so as to `cause the shelves'to be "spaced apart at predetermined intervals, andthe strips of the difr'ferentshelves are arranged to interlock with one another, the rims of the'shelves, 4 and 5 being provided with recesses to accommodate thestrips of the lower shelves so Yas to permit the periph- ,eries of all thefshelves to conform with the `wall of the container.

The strips are formed of spring material, so

. that when they are secured Vto the inclined poras to conform with the inner Walls of the con- .tainer. r y l A modified form of tting is shown in Fig. 2 Whereinthe shelves instead of being constructed of Vdiscs are of dished formation and in this ex-Z5 tions of the shelves they are splayed outwards, causing the strips of the different shelves to be interlocked with one another, and the outermost strips to engage in the recesses provided inthe wall of the container. 1

Figures Gand 7 illustrate modifications ofthe fitting of Figure 3. In Figures 6 and 7, however, flexible uprights are employed, and the supporting arms, although of strip fo1'm, are not hinged tothe respective discs but are formed integrally 'therewith 4each extending from the bottom of a peripheral recess and increasing in depth from the disc 2 to the disc 5.

As regards the method of mounting the arms or supports 1, 8 and 9, the same pin and slot type of interconnection is employed as shown in vFigure 5 but in Figure 6 the manner of retaining the outer arms 6 on or in association with the walls of the container is changed, the necessary support being obtained by `frictional means, namely by a rubber banding I9 exerting a frictional force on the wall of the container. The flexible strips 6 are secured by pressure and overlapping.

It will however be apparent that the pin and slot method of retaining the outer arms 6 may be employed if desired, the necessary indenture being provided in the wall of the container as shown in Figure 3.

In Figure 3, the arms or supports 6, 1, 8 and 8 are of rigid construction while in Figures 5 and 6 they are flexible and although they are inset in the shelves they are splayed outwards.

In Figure '7 the outer arms 6 are shown supported in a manner similar to that employed in Figure 3 but it is to be understood that they may be equally well supported by means of a rubber banding such as that shown in Figure 6, or if desired, a spring ring of segmental form capable of conforming with the inner upright 9 of the container may be employed as a further support.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 6 and 7, it is preferred to make the supporting arms of the discs, and especially arms 6, of spring material, such as springy sheet metal strip, and to secure them to the discs in such a way as to ensure that when in position in the container they exert a resilient pressure on the walls of the latter or on the next strip, as the case may be.

If desired, in the case of Figure 7, the uprights of the opposite flexible supporting arm may be cased on the outer side with rubber and arranged to overlap the preceding arm, the second blade spring being eliminated. l

The embodiment shown in Figure '7 is of advantage where narrow jars or like containers are concerned, as the uprights can be contracted by pressure acting on the blade springs.

The tting according to any of the constructions illustrated can be utilised directly, or can be readily adapted for utilisation as the case may be, with containers of any shape in the horizontal or transverse section. The shapes of the shelves will, preferably, also be adapted to the form of the container and the shelves will preferably fit as closely as possible to the inner wall lor walls of the container.

An internal fitting constructed according to the present invention has a wide field of utility. Such a iitting can be used in practically any container where it is desired to store or pack articles, substances, materials, and so on in compartments. For example, the ntting may be used in bottles for containing minerals of crystalline structure which are not homogeneous or vary in density or hardness. Where such crystalline bodies are massed together they tend to deteriorate, either by breaking up by impact with one another or by conglomeration into particles of larger size, or by deliquescence. By employing a fitting according to the invention and dividing the container into a plurality of compartments, the load on the material in the lower compartment or compartments is relieved of the weight of the material in the upper compartment or compartments.

Where the materials to be stored, packed or exhibited easily deliquesce, the shelves or partitions can be made of absorbent material or be coated or covered with an absorbent layer of moisture-absorbent material.

The tting or the various elements thereof can be of any suitable material. For example the shelves or partitions may be of glass,'light or heavy metal, iron, steel, wood, artificial resin, stout cardboard or millboard, depending on the use and strain to which the tting is liable to be subjected and on the materials with which it is to come into contact.

The suspension strips or arms described above may also be of any convenient composition, and where springiness is required they might advantageously be made of strip metal, whalebone, cane or the like.

I claim:

l. A'n internal fitting for hollow containers, comprising a plurality of spaced superposed shelves, a plurality of supporting arms attached 2. An internal fitting forl hollow containers,`

comprising a plurality of shelves each having spaced around its periphery a plurality of locating strips of spring material adapted to lie in alignment with the corresponding strips on the other shelves and to press outwardly towards the walls of the container when the fitting is in use, and co-operating pin and slot meansbetween the contacting faces of the successive pairs of adjacent strips forming a positive connection between the strips, and means for retaining the outermost strips of each set of aligned strips in position adjacent the inner wallof the container.

3. .An internal fitting for hollow containers, comprising a plurality of shelves, a plurality of supporting arms hingedly attached to each of said shelves, spring means on said shelves for pressing said arms outwardly toward the inner wall of the container when the fitting is in use, the arms on one shelf being arranged in overlapping relation with the arms on adjacent shelves and means for retaining said arms in releasable engagement with each other and in supporting position in the container.

4. An internal fitting for hollow containers comprising, a plurality of shelves, a plurality of supporting arms attached to each of said shelves and adapted to press outwardly towards the inner wall of the container when the fitting is in use, the corresponding arm of each shelf overlapping one another and being provided with means whereby the support of one shelf is secured to the support of the next shelf, and the WILLIAM WALSH. 

